XL Recordings

Photo by Kathryn Yu

You can forget about the Pineapple Express trailer now. "O... Saya", M.I.A.'s previously reported collaboration with A.R. Rahman for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, has hit the blogs, and it's a fast-paced, suspenseful track that combines electro-distorted guitars, a massive percussion section, traditional-sounding vocals, and M.I.A.'s assertive versifying. "I hope I live till I'm 50," she declares-- probably good news for M.I.A. Jr., although Maya's mention of a sweat shop suggests the song might be done in character. (via The Playlist)

[from Slumdog Millionaire Music From the Motion Picture; out now digitally, and due physically 12/23/08 on N.E.E.T./Interscope]

From Stereogum

A.R. Rahman & M.I.A â€' 'O... Saya'
M.I.A's playground raps splash against Rahman's thunderous drumming on this excerpt from the soundtrack to Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. No wonder the Tamils call the multi-million selling Indian composer 'Musical Storm'.

From East of LA

Mr Hudson â€' 'There Will Be Tears'
Hudson was signed to Kanye West's GOOD music imprint earlier this year and joined the newly-morose egotist for the European leg of his Glow In The Dark tour. Like his mentor his heartbroken R'n'B is tuned to the key of auto.

From The Docking Station
deadmau5 â€' 'Cocktail Queen'

Part of a collection of early rare recordings by Canadian producer deadmau5 and old running-buddy Melleefresh currently circulating the net. deadmau5 has started performing wearing a giant mouse mask with eye sockets fitted with strobe lights. Should make it much easier for punters to reach for them.

From Fluxblog

Wiley & Daniel Merriweather â€' 'Cash In My Pocket'
Mark Ronson-produced guaranteed pocket-filler from the Eskiboy's upcoming third 'overground' album, See Clear Now. If he's selling out then at least he's being open about it.

From You Ain't No Picasso

The Bicycles â€' 'Won't She Be Surprised'
You can't hate happy-clappy indie bands like Toronto's The Bicycles. It would be like hating nursery school teachers. Or Spot The Dog. Or sunshine. Come on everyone! Smile!

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MIA has teamed up with famed Indian producer A.R. Rahman on several tracks for the forthcoming soundtrack to 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

VOTE FOR MIA in the Fuse tournament bracket!!! 3 days left, help get MIA to the next round. Click here to vote. 

M.I.A. advances to the elite 8 in our tournament bracket w/a win over Usher. She takes on Chris Brown this time around.
Voting goes through Monday at midnight/
http://www.fuse.tv/music/best-of-2008/

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Is it safe to say that M.I.A.'s "retirement" is officially over? Because between her Diesel party set/baby-creating announcement, the How Many Votes Fix Mix EP, her track for that Slumdog Millionaire movie, and that Tom Waits/"The Wire" theme cover with Blaqstarr, Maya Arulpragasam has been pretty busy.

Add "mix hosting" to her list of un-retirement activities, because the London MC plays the "person saying things in between and over the top of music" role (à la DJs Khaled and Drama) on a forthcoming compilation from late Baltimore producer and radio personality Khia Edgerton, aka DJ K-Swift. The Club Queen: Greatest Hits also includes contributions from Blaqstarr, M.I.A. protégé Rye Rye, and tons of others.

Koch imprint Unruly will release The Club Queen: Greatest Hits on December 9.

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Photo by Kathryn Yu

Baby mama and Hova's witness M.I.A. is very much back from her sabbatical and rearing to hit us with new music. Her Blaqstarr-boosted cover of Tom Waits classic/"The Wire" theme song "Way Down in the Hole" surfaced earlier this month, and now it appears she has some new tunage in Trainspotting/28 Days Later... director Danny Boyle's much-buzzed-about new film Slumdog Millionaire (co-directed by Loveleen Tandan).

The Playlist points us to a New York magazine interview with Bollywood composer/megastar A.R. Rahman, who did the score for Slumdog and discusses recording a track, apparently called "O... Saya", with Ms. Arulpragasam herself.

"We met before but never worked before," Rahman tells NY mag (some of Kala was recorded in Rahman's studio). "M.I.A., she's a real powerhouse. Somebody played me her CD and I thought, 'Who's this girl?' She came here and knew all my work, had followed my work for ages. I said 'Cut the crap,' this 'my idol' crap. You have to teach me. We started working in India, then we e-mailed the track back and forth. She did the vocals in England. I did the rest in India." A song you may have heard before called "Paper Planes" reportedly turns up in the film as well.

Slumdog Millionaire, which centers on an impoverished young man's appearance on India's version of "Who...

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M.I.A. wins Round 1… onto Round 2…. M.I.A. is still alive in the tournament bracket- She takes on Usher in round 2.Voting goes through Monday at midnight.Click here to vote for M.I.A.!